First Call: Ex-Patriot unhappy with JuJu Smith-Schuster's signing; colorful assessment of new Steeler Nate Herbig

Thursday’s “First Call” has an interesting assessment of new Pittsburgh Steelers guard Nate Herbig.

There’s been some shade thrown at the Patriots for signing former Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. What’s the ripple effect of Cincinnati’s big contract for Orlando Brown? The Steelers have scheduled a top-30 visit with a center.

And a Pittsburgh product is on the finalist list for college hockey’s highest honor.

Jaundiced eye for JuJu

Former New England Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers left Foxborough for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday morning. He signed a free-agent contract worth $33 million over three years — $21 million guaranteed.

Shortly after news leaked of that signing, word came that the Pats had inked former Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster as a replacement at nearly identical terms. Smith-Schuster’s contract is also for $33 million over three years — $22.5 million guaranteed.

Meyers seemed to take that as a slap in the face.

Cold world lol https://t.co/YtYqjrymUw

— Jakobi Meyers (@jkbmyrs5) March 15, 2023

Smith-Schuster totaled 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Chiefs. Meyers had 67 catches for 804 yards and six touchdowns.

On the one hand, Smith-Schuster played with a better quarterback in K.C. last year—Patrick Mahomes. Meyers only had Mac Jones, who missed three games. But on the other, Travis Kelce was Kansas City’s top weapon.

Meyers led the Patriots with 96 targets. Smith-Schuster had 101, that was 51 behind Kelce.

What can Brown do for them?

The Cincinnati Bengals are taking a major step toward shoring up their offensive line play. They locked up former Chief Orlando Brown on a four-year, $64 million contract. He claims that he will play left tackle. Many in the NFL felt that Brown was destined to stay on the right side.

As a result, Jonah Williams (who is in the final year of his deal) will have to bump to right tackle or guard. Also, the Bengals need to determine what becomes of La’el Collins. He may not be ready for Week 1 due to injury. Cutting Collins with a post-June 1 designation would save the Bengals roughly $7 million.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow absorbed 41 sacks last year, sixth most in the NFL, second most in the AFC. He was dropped 51 times in 2021.

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Gargantuan guard

The Steelers signed enormous offensive guard Nate Herbig on Tuesday. It’s a two-year contract at $8 million with $4 million guaranteed.

He puts the “big” in “Herbig.” The former New York Jet and Philadelphia Eagle is 6-foot-4, 334 pounds.

Or is it more than that? That’s the guess of Penn State grad and Moon Area High School product A.Q. Shipley. He was on “The Pat McAfee Show” after Herbig’s signing. And the former Steelers draft choice thinks Herbig may be much larger than that.

“He’s an (expletive) monster isn’t he? You think that’s 334? That’s 374,” Shipley said. “He’s heavy handed. I like the way he plays. Not as big of a lateral mover in today’s game. But it’s cyclical. We are going the other way. We are coming back. We are starting to get back to the mashing. Starting to get back to the run game. This is a Steelers lineman of old. This is Chris Kemoeatu, a Willie Colon, that mold.”

Kemoeatu may be a nice comp when it comes to mentality and nastiness. And Colon works as an equivalent when it comes to run blocking ability. But if Herbig is going to displace Kevin Dotson as the starter, let’s hope Herbig can refine his skills in the pass game, as well.

And avoid penalties better than Dotson and Kemoeatu.

Going Gopher?

Minnesota Golden Gophers center John Michael Schmitz must’ve caught the eye of the Steelers in advance of the NFL Draft. Via Andrew Krammer of the Minnesota Star-Tribune, Schmitz has a top-30 visit set up with Pittsburgh.

Pro Football Network has Schmitz projected as a mid-second day pick. He’s 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. He’s not huge, but big enough. As PFN said, Schmitz has “experience, football IQ, athleticism, strength, and natural leverage,” even though he doesn’t have particularly long arms.

Schmitz will be a 24-year-old rookie, so he is polished. But he’ll be approaching 30 for his second contract depending on where he is picked. PFN doesn’t rule out Schmitz being a first-round selection if a team is hungry enough to get a quality center.

Mason Cole, the Steelers starting center, is signed through 2024 at over $6 million per year.

More from Minnesota

Since we are on the Golden Gophers topic, Minnesota hockey star Logan Cooley has been named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker award. It’s given annually to college hockey’s top player.

The West Mifflin product has plenty of stats to back up his candidacy. A freshman, Cooley is fourth in the nation in scoring with 50 points and sits fifth in assists (32). The Pens Elite alum has been named to the Big Ten conference’s All-Freshman Team and First Team All-Conference.

Cooley is seventh in Minnesota history for scoring by a freshman — the most points by a first-year player since ex-Penguin Phil Kessel had 51 points in 2005-06. He leads all NCAA players with a +32 rating and has a positive plus-minus in 21 outings.

Fellow Gopher Matthew Knies is also among the top-10 finalists. The award will be announced April 7.